Linings fob



' Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES,

PATENT- OFFICE 10 Drawing;

This invention relates to linings for shoes and the like. The inventionhas been applied more articularly to the converting of grey goods fbrshoe linings, and will be here- 1n described in this hase of itsutility.

For shoe linings t e grey goods are usually either bleached or .dyed,but in many cases are merely finished in the grey by being stiffened soas to stand up well in the shoe. The invention introduces a featurewhich has the double efi'ect that it makes the product permanentlypromotive of foothealth, foot-sanitation and foot-comfort, or at leastvery durably so, and that it makes a liningwhose initial purity is butlittle affected by wear, with incldental perspiring of the wearers foot.Also the lining has longer life than ordinary lining, without beingappreciably more expensive. By reasonof the invention, peculiarastringent, aseptic and odor-preventing qualities become associated withthe lining or inter-lining of a shoe.

7 To these ends a proportion of a suitable ingredient is to beincorporated in the sizing material, by mixture before the sizing isapplied. Zinc stearate may be considered as one example of such anngredient,

producing the result that when the goods,

sheet duck for example, are sized in the so course of their normalconverting for shoe linings, the duck becomes a carrier of propertieswhich, when it is later incorporated in a shoe tend to allay theirritating and odorous effect of perspiration and to kee whole shoesweet and wholesome. gredient also imparts to'the lining a charactereliminating chafing, thus reducing wear upon hosiery and upon feet; andthe lining becomes soothing to the feet, with astringent effect upon theskin and pores.

These highly desirable qualities are imparted to a shoe approximatelywithout extra cost. The added ingredient acts to a certain degree as afiller; in consequence of which less of the usual filler, such asstarch,

will be required. And because stcarates as. a rule are bulky, the addedingredient may occupy considerable space relative to itsfproportion ofweight. But these effects are relatively minor and incidental, for it isa pcthe This in- Application filed April 24, 1928. Serial No. 272,560.

euliar fact that an extraordinarily small qualtit of the zinc stearatesufiices. For

'examp e, for treating a duck sheet weighing ten ounces to the yard, asuitable bath may have the regular sizing and the zinc stear- 56 ateingredients mixed in a 200 to 1 ratio. Notwithstanding thissmallproportion it is observed that the stcarate, 'by its smooth, waxy feel,tends to smooth the. surface fibres in the cloth, diminishing thechafing, and reducing .the wear on lming'and hosiery. Therefore it isconsidered that perhaps the stearate forms as a coating over particlesof the size. But regardless of the correctness of this suggestion as tothe structural arrangement of the stearate inreference to the main bodyof sizing, there is an important effect in that in some manner itroduces in the sizin an environment in WhlCh life and growth 0%microscopic plant or animal forms are inhibited. As a probableexplanation, it is surmised that the odor which ordinarily develops inshoes, and which the invention avoids, is due to a bacterial growth inperspiratory matter excreted from the wearers foot, akin to thebacterial growth called putrefactien which is familiar in vegetable andanimal foods. The sizing material em ployed for shoe lining oftenconsists largely of starch. Starch is a favorable medium for growth andmultiplication of bacteria, especially in presence of moisture. Theingredient' lntroduced by the invention creates an environment which isunfavorable to the growth of bacteria, and which is in that sensegermicidal because it inhibits germ life, operating much as a so-calledpreservw tive prevents fermentation or putrefaction when added to afoodsubstance. Thus the notable results attained in this respect inshoes are due to the change of environment for germ life produced by theinvention.

Takingzine 'stearate as an example, the zinc atom when incombination isknown to be astringent and germicidal; and the stemic acid radical givesto the stearate material a quality such that although it is a fattyresidue nevertheless certain kinds of deterioration do not easily occur.This is true of the cognate fatty acids, all vegetable fats out when wetby water or perspiration. Zinc and aluminum are metals which meet thesespecifications. They are amphoteric', in that each may act both as anacid-forming and a base-forming element, and each has salts' which arenon-poisonous and are insoluble in water.

The protective material, selected on the above principles, or otherwisefound suitable, is added to the sheets of grey goods,

along with their sizing; and it takes final form as an impregnatingsolid substance which imparts :the desired germicidal, astringent andanti-friction properties. Its introduction may be accomplished 'by' theapparatus and methods by which sizing alone has hitherto been applied.Preferably the substance is preliminarily thoroughly mixed with the sizein liquid form; and the woven sheet material is run through a bath ofthis mixture in a trough, according to usual practices. of sizing. As"the sheet takes up the mixture, both ingredients thereof becomeimpregnated into the grey goods so as thoroughly to disseminate eachthroughout the sheet. The relative proportions of the ingredients in" aparticular bath may vary somewhat accordingto the weight per yard ofthesheet material to be treated. v A lighter sheet may require inits'bath proportionately slightly more of the deodorant and antisepticsubstance. Y

' In the zinc or aluminum stearate, or oleate, the metal furnishesastringent properties which tend to close the pores of the feet, thusretarding perspiration; and the fatty acid makes the stearate or oleate'be demulcent, soft and waxy feeling, and nonabrasive and giving thecloth a soothing and soft-feeling quality; and both metal and fatty acidcontribute to the environment which discourages bacterial growth; Thesame effect can be obtained, to a degree, by a combination of talc andsodium borate which would have the anti-friction, antise' tie andastringent qualities.

he result is a prolongation of the useful life of shoes and of hosiery;a more wholesome condition for both; and for the wearer is; gfefiiterdegree of foot comfort and foot ea t Although especially developed withregard to shoe linings, the invention is not limited to that use. Theinvention may, for example, be found useful for sweat bands in hats; oras a fabric, lining, or casing for dress shields. In the case of sweatbands a fabric likethat above proposed for shoe linings but well filledwith a larger proportion of the material would be suitable forinexpensive hats.

And although by the preferred method herein describedit is applied byadmixture with the sizing, it would appear that a rotective materialcould be applied to the s eet duck otherwise, as by treatment after orbefore the application of the sizing.

What is claimed is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a line ing for shoes and the likecomprising a sheet of textile fabric impregnated with starch, throughoutwhich is disseminated a solid, astringent salt of stearic acid.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an

astringent lining for shoes and the like comprising a sheet ofstarch-impregnated textile fabric throughout which is disseminated asmall proportion of zinc stearate.

Signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this twenty-third da of A ril 1928. 1 WA E C. BEKNETT.

